Time to eat! Introducing solid foods into your baby’s diet
Mothers and fathers receive too much advice from friends, family and social media. With all this information and misinformation swirling around, how do you know when you should begin introducing solid foods into your baby’s diet? Our Plano pediatricians are here to provide you with guidelines and information to help you make the most of feeding time.
Guidelines for introducing solid foods
There isn’t an exact day and time for introducing solid foods. Babies develop at their own unique pace. Our physicians and staff follow the American Academy of Pediatrics’ guidelines for starting babies on solid foods. Ask yourself the following questions, based on the AAP guidelines, to help you decide whether your baby is ready to start eating solid food.
- Does my baby have good head control? This means your baby can sit in an infant seat, feeding chair or highchair while maintaining good, solid control of the neck and head.
- Does my child seem interested in food? When your baby watches you eat, does he or she reach for your food, intensely watch you eat or act like he or she wants food?
- Has my infant both doubled his or her birth weight and weigh at least 13 pounds? Most babies weigh 13 pounds or more by the age of four months. Some babies may not double their birth weight by this time or may weigh less than 13 pounds. In that case, it’s fine to wait before introducing solid food. In fact, the AAP recommends feeding babies breast milk or formula exclusively for up to six months.
How to add food to your baby’s diet
Slowly, slowly. There is no rush when you begin giving your baby food. Offer your infant half a spoonful or two of single ingredient, soft, pureed food after he or she has nursed or taken a bottle.
It’s normal for a baby to spit out a lot of the first few bites. However, if it seems like your baby cannot move the food from the lips to the throat to swallow, you may need to wait a bit longer or consult our Plano pediatricians for advice.
Also, try a new, single ingredient food every three to five days so that you have time to notice any reactions your baby has to a particular food.
Our physicians know you care deeply about your baby’s diet and well-being, and so do we. Contact us for an appointment to learn more about introducing solid foods.
